THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
BACKGROUND BRIEFING
BY
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL
December 12, 1995
The Briefing Room
2:13 P.M. EST
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: The President will be departing early evening on Wednesday. He'll arrive in Paris Thursday morning around 7:30 a.m. He'll be on the ground for about 11 hours, but he's packed a lot into that.
The first meeting that he will have will be with the Balkan Heads of State -- President Milosevic, President Izetbegovic and President Tudjman. He's got several objectives for that meeting, first of all to congratulate them on the steps that they took in Dayton, to assure them once again that the United States will stand by those who have taken risks for peace, and finally to talk about the important work and the difficult work which lies ahead in implementing the Dayton agreement and how the NATO led-implementation force is going to need the cooperation and the help of all the signatories to the agreement to ensure that all of its provisions are implemented.
Q Is that before he goes to the Ambassador's residence to meet with the Ambassador?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: That's the first outside meeting he'll have. It's at the residence. It'll take place after he's had a little time on the ground.
Q And the three will be together?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yes, that's a joint meeting of all three heads of government with the President.
Q And will there be a departure statement?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I think Mike will address that. That's something we'll be determining later on.
Q When you say early evening, are you talking about like in the 5:00 p.m. range, or in the 7:00 p.m. range, or 8:00 p.m. range?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Right between those.
Q Six thirty.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you.
Q Because earlier you had on the schedule 4:00 p.m., and so it's now later than 4:00 p.m.?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Around 6:30 p.m.
Q What's 6:30 p.m.?
Q The departure.
Q Clinton departs.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Excuse me?
Q Okay, so continue on with the schedule, will you?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I will do me best, Terry.
Q Thank you.
Q What is the coverage going to be for the meeting, the joint meeting there?
Q Pool coverage.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Pool at the beginning. Pool spray at the beginning.
Q Go ahead.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you.
Following that, he's going to have around 10:30 a.m. a bilateral meeting with President Chirac --
Q Where's that?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: That will take place at the Elysee Palace.
Q The President is not planning to take public transportation, is he?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: No, he's going to have adequate transportation to get from the residence to the palace.
Q Photo op?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: There will be a pool spray at the beginning of this opportunity -- be able to talk to President Chirac to congratulate him in person about the release of the two pilots, something the President, I think, mentioned earlier in the day. Also to congratulate and to thank President Chirac for the strong leadership that he has shown in Bosnia and for the commitment of a substantial number of French forces in order to participate in the implementation force. And also to talk about the work which lies ahead of them in implementing the agreement.
The President will also have an opportunity to tell President Chirac how much he looks forward to welcoming him to the United States when he pays a state visit in February -- February the 1st.
Following that, at 11:30 a.m., will be the signing of the Balkan Peace Agreement at the Elysee Palace. Again, that will be pool press. There are a series of speakers and the President will be the final one.
Q Series -- give us a number.
Q -- is there a time limit on it --
Q Nine?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Excuse me?
Q Is the idea of his speech to the -- timed live for the morning news shows?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: It should be in time for the morning news shows.
Q Do you have any early feel for what he's going to say, any --
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I think you'll find that what he says is quite consistent with what he has said thus far on Bosnia, but this will be an opportunity to talk about what now is the signing of the agreement. We've taken the last step before we begin actual implementation. We have our enabling force now on the ground, and as they complete their work, the deployment itself can take place and the international community can give the Bosnians an opportunity to reestablish peace and to reestablish a civil society.
Q What does the U.S. officially call the document, and does the President sign it or initial it, or witness it in some --
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: The President signs as a witness, and I believe it's going to be called the Balkan Peace Agreement. We worked on that a long time, brought in some consultants.
Q Who are the signatories of that, the three --
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: The three Presidents -- President Chirac, President Clinton -- help me out here if -- Gonzalez, Chernomyrdin, Major and Kohl.
Q The three Presidents are the principal signatories to the agreement and the rest are witnesses?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Exactly. At the conclusion of all of the speeches, the signors will depart and they will go to the Quai for a luncheon. That luncheon is scheduled to be completed at 3:30 p.m. CET.
Q Coverage?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: There will be a pool spray of the lunch. There are not scheduled to be any remarks at this point. The President has some private appointments during the afternoon.
Q Christmas shopping?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: No, these are work-related activities.
Q At the embassy?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: At the residence.
Q With?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Folks.
Q I'm sorry?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: With people -- private appointments.
Q How long?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: You will be -- the President will be -- this is after the luncheon, and before the departure. The President will then depart downtown by helicopter and will depart Orly at about 6:30 p.m. For those of you who are traveling on the plane, you'll be back a little after 9:00 p.m.
Q A little after what?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: 9:00 p.m.
Q And the rest of us?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: The rest of us will get here when we get here. Thank you.
END 2:18 P.M. EST